


Turn of the Tide

by raspberrylightning



Series: Turn of the Tide AU [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:27:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28998246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberrylightning/pseuds/raspberrylightning
Summary: A Linzin fix-it story, taking place after Season 4 of Legend of KorraRated mature for swearing and reference of adult themes.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Lin Beifong/Tenzin
Series: Turn of the Tide AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154447
Comments: 56
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

Pema

The lights of the party shone brightly through the clear night sky, though not quite as brightly as the newly created spirit portal. You had to give it to Varrick, he knew how to throw a party.  
“Suyin”, Pema smiled at Zaofu’s leader, who was sitting amongst her family, finally reunited, “would you mind looking after Meelo for a second, there’s…something I must do.”   
“Of course” Suyin reciprocated the smile but as always when she interacted with Pema, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you”, Pema led her second-to-youngest to Suyin – Rohan was home with Katara, who had proclaimed she was ‘too old for long nights’ three hours ago. Pema knew what she was going to say and she wanted to get this conversation over with but still, now that she had actually decided to go through with this, to act on her thoughts and wishes, she felt dread. What if she wasn’t making the right call? What if this was all a mistake? She took a deep breath and reminded herself that this doubtful inner voice was only her panic and excitement speaking. Pema trusted herself, her instincts, her intelligence. This was the right call. Tenzin was sitting with Korra’s parents, talking avidly. They had been brave to trust him with their daughter, Pema thought. With her kids going on missions for the Airbending Nation, she knew how hard letting go of your kids was.   
“Tenzin”, she put a hand on his shoulder, nodding at the water tribe leader and his wife, “would you mind taking a walk with me?” 

“What is it, honey?”, Tenzin’s face was friendly but confused as he sat down next to her in the grass. The sounds of the party were reduced to faraway background noise. “We need to talk”, Pema smiled, even though her heart was beating quickly, “and I figured we should do so before we get swept up in rebuilding everything.” Tenzin nodded, patiently awaiting whatever she had to say. He had always listened to her, even when she had been only a young acolyte who felt like she had nothing much to say. That was one of the things that had made her fall in love with him. “You’ve been so good to me these last fifteen years”, Pema took one of his large hands in her small ones, “I was virtually still a girl when I met you and you have shown me what I am capable of. I always felt I’d be a good mum, but you showed me that I could also be a good spiritual leader, a good scholar…and so many other things. Because you always believed in me.” “I’m glad that is how you feel”, Tenzin squeezed her hands, “But you had it in you all along.” “I know that now”, Pema nodded and took a deep breath, raising her chin to look him in the eyes, “and I know I deserve good things in life. You are a wonderful father, and I would not exchange the life we have had for anything. You know our children and our family mean everything to me.” “Of course, I know that, honey”, Tenzin looked at her, forehead crinkled, “and you deserve nothing but the best.” “Right”, Pema exhaled, “I also deserve a husband who loves me, fully, with his entire being.” Tenzin gaped at her, shock in his eyes: “I do love you, Pema!” She squeezed his hand, trying to be as reassuring as she could. “I know you do. You have loved me as much as you could and I…I will always value that love very much. Back when we got married, I thought that if we only stayed together long enough, you would love only me but…I have grown up and I have learnt that it is impossible to take something that has already been taken. That was taken long before we even met.” “Pema…”, Tenzin got up, pacing nervously, “you know I would never betray you in any way, right?” “I know that, and I am not accusing you of anything other than having no control over certain emotions – of being human if you want.” She motioned for him to sit down again and he did, clearly tensed up and…scared? “You were in an impossible situation, Tenzin”, Pema looked at the lights coming from the party, reminiscing, “and I am sure you made the right choice because I refuse to accept a reality where Jinora, Ikki, Meelo and Rohan were not…right. But everything has changed, and you are no longer bound by duty the way you were before”, she turned to him, smiling, even though she felt tears in her eyes. “I have a feeling you still love her, but I am not going to question you about that. That is not what this is about. What I know is that you will never fully love me, the way you used to love her. The way I deserve to be loved by my partner.” Pema wiped her eyes and pride rose up in her. She had said it.   
“I am so sorry, Pema”, Tenzin sounded miserable, “I tried…I tried so hard to…you have given me everything and I was unable to give you even the bare minimum required. Please…Please know this is all my fault.” “This is no-one’s fault”,   
Pema looked into his grey eyes and saw pain and confusion and guilt, “don’t torture yourself, please. I am not angry with you, I …came to this conclusion a while ago, I’ve had time to grieve and time to realise that…this doesn’t have to be bad.” Tenzin nodded, slowly. “We will need to tell the kids”, he said, “what…will they think of me?” “They will continue to love and respect you”, she smiled at him, “they adore you, Tenzin. What happened between us will not affect them in the long run. Especially because…we are still friends, right?” “If you will have me?”, he smiled back, hugging her. She took a deep breath in and felt her smile widen. She had really done it. It would all be fine.


	2. Chapter 2

Lin

Su stormed into the training hall and scared Lin so much that she nearly dropped her weights. “Su, for spirit’s sake, what are you doing?”, Lin let the weight fall to the floor and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “So, you haven’t heard”, Su grinned and bent a chair out of the floor, “Lin, I am about to give you some very big news.” “Huan has built a new statue?”, Lin rolled her eyes. Her sister got excited about just about everything her kids did. “Yes, but that isn’t the point”, Su dismissed, her eyes sparkling, “Tenzin and Pema broke it off.” Lin took a few seconds to acknowledge that her sister had really just spoken those words. “Humbug”, she went back to the weights, busying herself with attaching another pound, “the papers proclaim these things every four weeks, as soon as they run out of actual news.” “Korra told me”, Su added. Lin stopped, staring at the metal plate in her hand, unable to form a thought. “Apparently it happened weeks ago, right after Varrick’s wedding”, Su continued when she realised she was not going to get a reaction from her sister, “they’ve been keeping quiet, looking after the kids and everything but they made it official this morning, he moved out to some other quarters on the island.” Lin held onto the metal, slowly forming it into different shapes, trying to figure out how she felt about this. “Why?”, she finally managed to say. It made no sense, they seemed happy enough, they had the children, the children he’d always wanted, needed… “They have not said very much but apparently it’s all in mutual agreement. Tenzin said to Korra that they were still good friends…and emotionally had been nothing but friends for years.” “Friends who fuck”, Lin grimaced, “that’s hardly believable.”   
“Apparently she broke it off, not he”, Su got up and sat down closely next to her sister, “Lin, how are you feeling?” “I don’t even know”, Lin mumbled, then looked up into Su’s pretty face, “I’m not supposed to care, you know.” “Yeah, but you do. Your heart is beating so quickly, I would feel it from across the street”, Suyin squeezed her hand, “maybe you should go speak to Tenz-“ “Absolutely not”, Lin straightened her back, slowly regaining her composure, “if he has anything to say to me about this, he can come to me. I am not getting involved and risking looking like a homewrecker. The papers are going to go crazy as-is.” “If you think that’s the best thing to do, fine”, Su shrugged, then her grin returned, “but he’ll come to you, sooner than later. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Lin…the way he always has. And you don’t even need to try to pretend you don’t have feelings for him anymore.” “I won’t”, Lin said simply, “I accepted years ago that I would never be able to…rid myself of that. Still, I am not going to do anything to insert myself back into his life like that. Whatever you think, I still believe he really loves Pema and spirits know, he loves those children.” Su nodded, then stepped forward and hugged Lin tightly. Lin inhaled her sister’s sweet perfume, trying to calm down. “You’re a really good person, Lin”, Su said and, letting go of her, added: “But you better don’t let that ruin the opportunity that is presenting itself here.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a quick mistake in the posting order - Chapter 2 has been inserted and this is actually chapter 3! Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, let me know what you think :)

Tenzin

For the first day in three and a half weeks, his private life was not the main page of the newspaper. Tenzin skimmed articles about the President’s newest initiative, the process of democratisation in the former Earth Kingdom, some fashion show happening later this week… Maybe things would finally calm down and he could dare to venture out into Republic City for things other than work-related appointments. He left his humble quarters in the men’s dormitory wing, greeting people as he walked towards the main house. Other than his children’s, the air nation’s reaction had been what had concerned him the most. However, as he should have expected, there had been a general effort to give Pema and himself privacy and space. Air people were an accepting culture and more than anything, he had once again experienced the kindness of his people throughout these past months.  
He knocked and, when he heard Pema’s ‘come in!’, he entered the kitchen of the quarters where Pema and the children lived. “Good morning”, he smiled at her, briefly touching her shoulder, then sat down at the table, “I thought we would all have breakfast together?” “The kids will be down in ten minutes, you’re a little early”, she laughed, pointing at the clock that showed that it was only quarter to six. “Oh, I must have woken up much earlier than I thought”, he shook his head, “can I help you with any of the food?” “No, no, Ikki and Meelo made everything yesterday evening”, she sat down next to him, “they are doing well, I think. The kids, I mean. They seem happy.” “Thank the spirits”, Tenzin poured tea into two cups and handed her one, “and also, thank you, for raising them the way you did.” She smiled at that well-deserved compliment and took a sip. “Now”, Pema said, setting down her cup, “have you been to the city recently?” “And get hounded by the press, no thank you”, he laughed. “So…have you spoken to Lin?”, he felt heat rise up in his cheeks and she rolled her eyes. “Tenzin, you haven’t spoken to her?” “I’ve seen her at meetings”, he raised his hands defensively, “but we didn’t have much time to exchange more than a few news and…well, she seems a little grumpy.” “Yeah, no wonder”, Pema hit her forehead with a flat hand, “have you considered that maybe, given that you are close friends, she’d like to hear news about major changes in your life from you, not from the Republic City Herald?” Back when they got married, she would have never spoken to him like that – pride rose up in Tenzin as he once again noted how much Pema had grown. Then, the truthfulness of her words started to dawn on him. “Oh damn”, he murmured, “you may have a point…and I should probably expect to be greeted by some cables the next time I see her.” “Well, if I were you, I’d get that conversation over with”, Pema grinned, “I have some salve for any injuries you may acquire.” “Haha, very funny”, Tenzin rolled his eyes, but he smiled. “Morning, dad!”, Ikki came racing down the stairs, “we made fruit buns yesterday!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos, it means the world to me! I hope you enjoy today's chapter :)

Lin

It had been a long day and she wanted nothing more than to lay down on her bed and pass out…but even Lin Beifong had to eat, so, after taking a shower, she stood aimlessly in the middle of the kitchen, staring at empty cupboards. Katara would have had a fit, Lin thought, smiling to herself as she remembered the old waterbender’s kitchen, always filled with snacks and smelling like freshly cooked food. There was a knock on her door and, without even thinking about it, she grabbed her cables from the dining room table where she had put them before showering. There had been a total of three gang fights today – meaning there was a good chance that the person on the other side of the door had every intention of murdering her. This wouldn’t be the first time a mob boss sent one of his henchmen after her, though none of them had ever succeeded in harming her. Instead, it was Tenzin – completely soaked since it had been raining for the better part of the evening.   
“Evening, Lin”, he peered nervously into the house, “can I come in?” “Sure”, she managed to say, opening the door wider, then closing it behind him, “everything alright?”   
“The press is hunting me down wherever I go”, he rubbed his temples, “I walked here to avoid them seeing me on Oogi or with a wingsuit.” Lin scoffed: “The price of a free press.” She didn’t endorse censorship, of course…but occasionally, she felt the urge to set the headquarters of the Republic City Herald on fire.   
“However, I did manage to buy these”, Tenzin held up a small bag, “some vegetable dumplings, the ones from that stand you always go to. The guy definitely recognised me but thank the spirits he kept quiet.” “Thanks”, Lin cleared her throat, “if you want, hang up your cloak to dry.” Without waiting for him to catch up, she walked into the kitchen and placed the dumplings in a steaming basket over a pot to warm them up again. He followed her, looking uncomfortable. Lin had never been a particularly good truth seer – part of her resented invading people’s privacy like that – but she could feel his heart beating quickly and saw sweat trickling down his forehead. “So, how can I help you”, she said, busying herself in the kitchen with making a pot of tea. “I wanted to apologise for…not managing to speak to you sooner”, he leaned heavily against the table. There were dark shadows under his eyes. “We’ve been busy focussing on the children and trying to make this all go down as inconspicuously as possible…” “Great job”, she deadpanned, then added: “Although it’s not really on you. I don’t think there was any better way of doing it. The press was going to find out either way.” “Still, you deserved to hear about it from me”, he looked at her for what felt like a long time, then added, “you are one of my closest friends, after all.”   
She left that uncommented, unsure of what to reply. The smell of dumplings and fresh tea filled the kitchen, and part of Lin couldn’t help but feel comfortable and safe – the way she always did in his presence if she let herself. “How are you?”, she took out the dumplings, placing them on a serving platter, “feeling, I mean.” “Things are bad when Lin Beifong worries about my emotional state”, he laughed, then became serious again, “mostly relieved. The children…are going to be okay. The air nation has been kind and accepting. And…I am glad Pema took a step I would never have been brave enough to take myself.” “So, she really broke up with you”, Lin raised her eyebrows, “I remember her confessing her undying love to you?” That had come out sounding bitter, she realised, but before she could add anything, Tenzin spoke up. “She did. I am sure she felt that way, for a long time but…she realised I would never be able to love her like that. So eventually, she managed to move on herself. We are still friends and… I owe her a lot.” Lin sat down at the table and put an entire dumpling in her mouth to avoid having to answer to that immediately. He sat down across her, watching her intently. She wanted to ask why he hadn’t been able to love this wonderful, sweet, surprisingly funny woman, seemingly the perfect wife, the way she deserved… but then again, she didn’t want to hear the answer, realising that should Su have been wrong, she was in for the biggest disappointment of her life. And there had been quite a few big disappointments in Lin Beifong’s life.   
“Are you…angry with me?”, Tenzin asked, his voice soft. Immediately, Lin felt herself melt. She nearly gave in, nearly told him how she wasn’t angry, how she had been worried more than anything, how she was just a little confused and surprised…He did that to her, he made her weak. Lin pulled herself together, sat up straight, swallowed the dumpling and simply said: “I don’t see how I am involved in any of this. I am not angry; I am glad you are happy.”   
Tenzin sighed, burying his face in his hands. Lin ate another dumpling, fighting to withstand the temptation of wanting to comfort him. Eventually, he got up and picked up chopsticks from a drawer in the kitchen – he still knew where she kept all her things. She had realised that some time ago when he had come in here to talk through the developments in the Earth Kingdom and he’d immediately known where to find the glasses…maybe Su was right, maybe she should renovate her apartment.   
Tenzin sat back down, fidgeting with the chopsticks instead of eating. “I seriously considered getting drunk before coming here, to make myself a little braver”, he finally said, grimacing a little, “I decided against it because I know me, and it probably would have caused me to throw myself against you and beg you to take me back.” Lin nearly choked on her dumpling. “You know that’s why I am here, right?”, he looked desperate, she thought, and her heart ached a little bit more. Her head spun as she tried to process what was happening.   
“I never stopped loving you, Lin. I tried, I really tried so, so hard but…I was unable to stop feeling the way I feel. Stupidly, I let the white lotus and a misguided idea about my father’s wishes get the better of me…and look where that got me. How could I ever love Pema the way she deserved, when…”, his voice broke off, he reached for her hand and she let him take it, completely stunned by his honesty. “How could I love her, when you were always in the perimeter, being so decisive and hilariously sarcastic and strong and beautiful…”, his cheeks reddened but he continued, “I’d hear her perfectly pleasant sing-songy voice wishing me a good morning and I wished for nothing more than to swap it out for a raspy ‘wake up, airhead’. Every day. For fifteen years.” Lin registered that her own heart was beating quickly now, that blood found its way to her cheeks. His hand squeezed hers and memories of him touching her soared through her brain. Waking up next to him, feeling warm and safe, enjoying that for a few minutes before starting her day by waking him, too… It had kept her grounded in a way not even earthbending could.   
“Lin”, Tenzin’s voice made her name sound like a plea, “please say something?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for leaving comments, kudos and hits - it's so motivating! I hope you enjoy today's chapter. Tomorrow's chapter is a lot longer and more characters will be introduced, but for now I hope you will enjoy some more Lin and Tenzin :)

Tenzin 

This was the real reason why he hadn’t gone to see her earlier. Why he had avoided this conversation for months. The fear of not getting the answer he wanted so badly.   
Her face was blank, she was staring at him, completely motionless, cheeks flushed, and eyes widened. If he hadn’t known her so well, he would have thought she was just in shock – and she definitely was shocked, he could tell by how her hand trembled underneath his. But he also knew her well enough to recognise that there was something else in her features– confusion, fear or maybe…anger?   
“I am sorry if I have made this awkward or offended you”, he got up, his heart heavy, and started cleaning the table. She remained quiet and Tenzin suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl up in his quarters and just sleep, to forget about it all. Then again, there was a good chance he would dream about Lin. He put down the plates in the sink and walked towards the door, stopping to stand next to where she was still sitting motionlessly. Tenzin failed to sound neutral when he forced himself to smile and say: “I’ll leave you to it, Chief, I am sure there is much to do in the city, and you need to-“   
“Wait”, she got up and he suddenly felt triumph course through is body. She was going to hug and kiss him now, she was going to tell him that of course she would take him back, because this was Lin, and they belonged together, they always had…  
“You need to give me some time”, she looked at him with those stupid green eyes that wouldn’t leave him alone, “this is all very…sudden. I need to think. I need time to decide what’s best for us. For me.” “Right”, Tenzin nodded, trying to comprehend what had just happened, “of course you do, I…I am sorry, I didn’t mean to be pretentious…” He’d been just that, pretentious, expecting her to throw herself at him the moment he entered through the door. He had just assumed she wanted this as badly as he did, when maybe she was happy with her life as it was, maybe she didn’t want change right now, or maybe she didn’t want…him. “You’re not pretentious”, Lin swallowed, “but…I need to be sure. We both need to be sure this is what we want because…well, many reasons, but also I do not want to go back to… not speaking to you.” He was tempted to reiterate just how much he wanted this, but he knew better than to overstep the boundaries she clearly needed right now. “Oh, so you admit you like speaking to me, huh”, he grinned, and she smiled at his poor attempt of a joke. “Sometimes”, she retorted, “depends on the time of day, really.” Silence ensued, not the comfortable silence that they were usually able to share, but rather an excruciating one, filled to the brim with confused feelings. “I…I should get going”, Tenzin cleared his throat, “I’m leading morning meditation, I should probably…get some sleep.” That was a lie, he had exchanged shifts with Jinora…because he had apparently allowed himself to hope that he would stay the night… he nearly groaned, shocked by his own level of idiocy. “Sure”, Lin walked towards the door, handing him his coat, “you’re going to walk all the way back?” “I can do with some fresh air”, he forced himself to smile, although he was pretty sure it looked like some kind of absurd grimace. “Alright”, Lin nodded, then hesitantly extended her hand to squeeze his shoulder, “I’ll see you soon?” “Of course, you will”, he smiled again, not needing to pretend this time because the prospect of seeing her, of her wanting to be around him, made him happy enough. He raised his hand – he was definitely being awkward, why was he being so awkward – then shuffled out the door. For a moment, he stopped to listen to her steps, slowly returning to the kitchen, then he pulled himself together and started walking home. Somewhere halfway between Lin’s house and the island, he finally managed to take a deep breath. He had not done right by Pema, but spirits knew, he had also not treated Lin the way she deserved. As soon as they had been back to being friends, he had in many ways returned to taking her for granted, the way he always had…She had risked her life for him and his family, more than once, despite the things that had happened, despite decades of barely speaking to one another… Lin being around, Lin doing things for him, had felt natural, in some ways, given that she had, quite literally, always been there…But that didn’t make it fair. Determination returned as he remembered how she’d touched his shoulder. They still had a chance and Tenzin was going to make sure they made use of it.  
First step, he thought to himself, is to try and not behave like a hormonal teenager around her... Though that was easier said than done.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So, today's chapter is a little less focussed on Lin and Tenzin and we are finally meeting some new characters. This is a lot longer than the other chapters, but I didn't know how to sensibly split it up - I hope you guys don't mind the changing lengths! Enjoy the chapter and thanks so much to everyone who is taking the time to read, leave kudos and comment!

Jinora

She took a deep breath in and felt a wide smile appear on her face. The warm air in the kitchen smelt like fresh fruit and her favourite rice porridge and Korra’s loud laughter filled the room. Jinora needed to speak to the Avatar, but she would have rather bit off her tongue than interrupt the nice breakfast they had going on. It had not been an easy time for her family…but seeing her parents together, as friends, felt right to her now. She had been the most understanding of her siblings… A pang in her heart reminded Jinora of her siblings’ reactions. Her little sister had been furious, throwing bursts of wind everywhere, accusing their father of abandoning them and Meelo had been so untypically quiet that Jinora had worried for him far more than for Ikki. However, they were slowly accustoming to the situation. They saw their dad all the time – maybe more than before the break-up. It was sweet, how much of an effort he made to make them feel good. Maybe Jinora didn’t adore him anymore in the same way she had when she had been a little girl – a side effect of growing up - but there was no question that her dad was still the best dad in the world. Just now, he smiled kindly at Jinora and handed her another bread roll, asking quietly: “everything alright, sweetie?” “All good”, she took the bread roll and squeezed his hand. The air around Tenzin brightened, twinkling with relief and happiness...there it was again. She had only acquired what she suspected was a new power connected to her spiritual talents a few weeks ago. It had begun on the day when her parents had sat her down with the words “Jinora, please, would you come talk to us for a moment?”… and it had grown stronger ever since. Jinora had searched through every single book on the entire island, but other than some obscure references in the most timeworn texts, she hadn’t found very much. It wasn’t too hard to figure out instinctively, though. What she was seeing was some kind of manifestation of the spiritual energy of the people around her. Boldly, Jinora had dubbed it an “aura”, even though she was pretty sure that that went against some doctrine…you couldn’t just name things. But then again, it was not like she had an abundancy of ancient airbending masters around who could explain things to her. In fact, there was only one other airbending master, and he was very busy sorting out his divorce. So, once again, Jinora went for what she jokingly called ‘airbending autodidactism’… she just kind of went along with things. It was getting to the point, though, where she really wanted to share this with someone, hence why she had decided to speak to the person who, after her father, seemed the most fitting: The Avatar. Jinora looked over to her and grinned. Korra and Asami were sitting closely to each other, sharing their porridge and seeming to use absolutely any excuse to touch each other. Jinora rolled her eyes a little: it was more than clear what was going on ever since they had returned from their holiday, but so far, they had not said anything, at least not to her…She hoped they did not feel like they needed to hide, at least not here, on the island.   
A knock on the door interrupted the chatter and Jinora was surprised to see Lin Beifong enter the room. The earthbender had not set foot on the island since the night of the wedding – something that saddened Jinora, although she had a strong hunch as to why.   
“I am sorry to be interrupting your meal”, Lin said, unnecessarily formally, then waved at Korra, “good to see you, Avatar.” “Hi, Lin”, Korra grinned at the title that, coming from Lin, felt a little bit more like a nickname. “Lin!”, Meelo jumped a meter into the air, hugging Lin’s neck, “we haven’t seen you in ages! Are we going to train? Can we spar? Please, please, please, I am so bored of sparring with Ikki and Jinora, they never put up a real fight –“ “Sorry, but I am here for work, Meelo”, Lin wiggled him off, but there was a slight smile on her face. “I just wanted to let you know that we are going to have to suspend the ferry traffic today”, she cleared her throat again, trying to look everywhere but at Pema and Tenzin, whom she was clearly addressing, “there is a rally from some remaining Imperialists happening today…nobody really thinks it will be dangerous, but for some stupid reason, they are demonstrating in the area near the harbour and I don’t want any of them on your island or near the Avatar.” “How many?”, Tenzin’s brows furrowed, “I don’t even know what these people still want, with Kuvira in prison…” “We expect around 30”, Lin looked at him quickly, then looked away again, “so no problem at all. A good training exercise in demonstration control for my younger officers, really.” “Great, thank you, Lin”, Pema smiled at Lin. Warmth rose up in Jinora’s chest – her mum’s infinite capacity for kindness never failed to surprise her. Although there was an ever so slight…smirk to Pema’s aura now, and Jinora grinned: her mum had some kind of a plan. “Why don’t you stay for breakfast”, Pema gestured at the empty space between Tenzin and Korra, “we have plenty of food.” “I need to ehm…catch the last ferry”, Lin looked at her boots with such intensity that it nearly made Jinora giggle. “Are you leading the team?”, Tenzin asked, worry in his voice. “No, no, we decided that my presence was more likely to rile them up than anything else, given my involvement in the whole Kuvira affair”, Lin gave him another quick glance, “I was going to go home and catch up on paperwork…” “Please stay, Lin”, Ikki said suddenly, sounding surprisingly earnest. In the last weeks, there was something new to Ikki, evident in her behaviour but even more so in her aura, a certain…seriousness. She was growing up. “You haven’t been here in ages, Meelo’s right!”, Ikki now grinned, “besides, I bet I would last longer sparring against you than he would!” Jinora’s younger siblings immediately started discussing this.   
Tenzin got up and put a hand on Lin’s arm, practically forcing her to look at him as he smiled at her, “you’re more than welcome to stay the day, Lin. Besides, don’t we need police protection with the rally happening?” “You have all living airbending masters plus the Avatar…”, Lin mumbled then, visibly melting under his gaze, said: “fine, fine…but only because someone needs to spar properly with your kids!” Something flickered in the air around her, a feeling, so acute and strong it made Jinora do a double take…but it was gone already.  
“Fab, I could do with some metalbending training, too!”, Korra jumped up, nearly toppling over the bench. “Sounds like the day is all planned out”, Tenzin said, squeezing Lin’s arm once more before turning to the table: “Pema, do you agree?” “Of course”, Pema got up and again, there was something mischievous to her grin, “Asami, do you want to help me prepare some lunch? Only if you feel like it though.” “I love baking, you know that”, Asami went and put an arm around Pema’s shoulder, her aura warming with something both delighted and melancholic. What Asami really loved was being around Pema, Jinora realised. Her mum was motherly in a way Asami had never gotten to experience. “All right then”, Lin grinned at Meelo, “let’s get you warmed up, airbenders!” 

Jinora was by no means a bad fighter, she just didn’t particularly enjoy sparring…especially against Lin Beifong, who never went easy on them. Somehow, their sessions always ended with Jinora landing on her back, locked down between two pieces of rock. So, after three such losses, she had gladly let Meelo and Ikki have their turn and had used the opportunity to pull Korra to the side-lines to finally speak to her.   
“You see…auras?”, Korra stared at her as Jinora finished her brief explanation. “Well, that is just what I have named it. I believe…it has to do with the person’s soul, their spiritual energy”, Jinora shrugged, “I have not found very much in the ancient texts. It looks like people have not been able to do this for a long time…I will try visit the spirit world and speak to someone there, I think.” “So, what is it you see? The mood of the person?”, Korra looked at her with fascination. “Well, it used to be only that. But increasingly, I can distinguish between mood and…character?”, Jinora found it difficult to explain something she had only been feeling herself for a little more than two months. “So, for example, you right now are happy and relaxed and interested in what I am saying but you are always, independent of your mood, brave and ready to take risks…your aura is always in motion, I guess that also shows in your temper sometimes. Very different from my mum, for example, who is more like a…like a pond where you are a river.”   
Korra shook her head, trying to digest the information, then laughed: “that is actually insane, Jinora.” “Yeah, I know. That’s why I needed to tell you first, to double-check I am not losing it”, Jinora grinned. “You should talk to your dad. I know he’s busy, but I think he’ll love this”, Korra leaned back in the grass, then added jokingly, “what would I do without my spiritually talented friend!” Jinora giggled. She had missed Korra, but the holiday had done wonders for the Avatar’s peace of mind. Whilst she was at it, Jinora decided, she might as well go all the way. “I see another thing, actually”, Jinora shifted, to be able to watch Korra’s face, “when two people fit together.” “What do you…?”, Korra made a confused face, but Jinora detected not just that, but also the tiniest bit of panic. It made her unbelievably sad. “When two people are a good match, in more ways than one. Meelo and Ikki, for example, their…souls, or whatever, they fit well, like they are literally made to be around each other.” “They’d hate to hear that”, Korra snickered, “but I guess they are a pretty good team.” “Or you and Asami”, Jinora extended her hand and put it on Korra’s arm, “you two are also a pretty good team.” “That’s…ehm…one way of putting it”, Korra stared at the grass, her face flushed. “You don’t have to worry about anything here on the island”, Jinora felt herself grow angry, “you shouldn’t have to worry about anything anywhere…but that is not the point.” Korra, out of nowhere, hugged her tightly, her aura encompassing Jinora. “Thanks”, she whispered, then let go of Jinora, trying to regain composure. “I can’t see my own”, Jinora continued, chuckling, “aura, I mean. It’s probably a good thing. I kind of don’t want to know if Kai and I match well or not.” “Yeah, tell me the gossip about that!”, Korra sat up, grinning at Jinora. When the Avatar had arrived on the island, Jinora hadn’t been sure about the loud, angry girl that was suddenly stomping around her formerly oh-so-peaceful home…but it hadn’t been long until Jinora considered Korra not just a link to her grandfather, or a friend, but rather an older sister.   
And of course, you shared your relationship problems with your older sister.


	7. Chapter 7

Lin

She’d never admit it but sparring those little airbending devils had actually exhausted her.   
“I need a lunch”, she said, walking towards Jinora and Korra who had been sitting a little while away, talking, “what about you guys?” “Yes, lunch!”, Meelo screamed, hand raised and jumping into the air, “let’s see what Asami and mum have made!” The kids, apparently never running out of energy, raced each other towards the house, followed by Jinora and Korra. Lin trailed behind, feeling genuinely exhausted…but in a good way. “Thanks for sparring with them”, Tenzin appeared next to her, “you’re a much better fighting teacher than I am.” “Thank my mother for that…actually, don’t, she’d get cocky. But I suppose years of daily training helped.” “Your mum was way too harsh, especially on you”, Tenzin shook his head, “no, what I mean is that you are a good teacher. The things you tell them stick in their heads; I can tell when I spar with them that they remember your lessons.” Lin was surprised of how happy this made her. “Do I see a smile?”, Tenzin teased, nudging her a little bit with his elbow. “I cannot believe you have gotten me emotionally attached to your horde of offspring!” Tenzin laughed at that and the genuine affection and warmth in his eyes made her smile broaden. She had not been this happy on Airtemple island for years. Aang would be delighted.  
“Lin, I just wanted to say…”, Tenzin began. Immediately, dread rose in Lin. She hadn’t made a decision yet. Honestly, she had done everything to avoid having to think about it…there was a part of her that wanted to give in, that had wanted to throw herself at him last week and sob with happiness about having him back in her life in this way… and had she been 20, she might have. But she wasn’t 20 and contrary to popular belief, she wasn’t unhappy or bitter – at least not more or less than the average person. They weren’t young like they had been the first time around and now, there were so many more factors to consider. Most importantly, his children. Lin swallowed hard as she imagined Meelo, staring at her with tears in his googly eyes, angrily accusing her of taking his dad away. Tenzin had stopped and watched her expression attentively; his brows furrowed. “I’m sorry, I just… need time…”, Lin nervously ran a hand through her hair. “Of course, what I meant to say is…”, Tenzin looked at his feet, then, clearly summoning his courage, looked back into her eyes: “you are always welcome here, Lin. Really. Independent of…whatever happens. This is your home as much as mine and I am sorry if you ever felt like…like there wasn’t space for you here.” “Oh”, Lin couldn’t stop herself from making a surprised sound. A wave of emotions – gratefulness, affection, embarrassment, confusion – rolled over her. “Thank you”, she managed to say, once again extending her hand to touch his shoulder. Even this little touch made her stomach tumble – hadn’t she just said to herself that she wasn’t a kid anymore? – and she allowed herself to keep her hand on his broad, warm shoulder for a second longer than appropriate. Tenzin looked at her again. He seemed a little sad and it stung, the idea that she was causing him any sadness…but then he lifted his own hand and covered hers with it, stroking over her skin with his thumb. “Let’s get food, you must be starving from all the bending”, he said, his voice soft. “I am, actually”, she dropped her hand, clearing her throat, then forced herself to walk more quickly towards the main house, “Meelo is becoming quite the fighter though!” “If only he spent half that effort on his meditation…”, Tenzin sighed in what seemed like exasperation and Lin giggled. Something about that made him look up to her immediately, eyes widened, smile reaching nearly from one ear to another. He didn’t comment, there was no need – a thought separated itself from the whirlwind of concerns and contradictory feelings spiralling in Lin’s head: Hearing her laugh made him happy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much to everyone who is leaving kudos, interacting with me in the comments or taking time to read this story! I hope you enjoy today's chapter: This one is short and sweet, but I promise, we are moving towards a resolution of this whole mess :D I just thought it was important to give some other characters a little more "screen" time...and also, who doesn't love Asami!

Asami

“It still looks nothing like yours”, she laughed, pointing at her misshaped bun, laying next to Pema’s perfectly uniform ones. “It takes practice”, Pema smiled, not even looking at her hands whilst she was shaping another one. Outside the window, Asami could spot the kids and Korra running towards the main house. “Lunch is ready in 30 minutes”, Pema told Meelo who entered the kitchen first, before he could even say something. “Lunch in 30 minutes!”, Meelo proclaimed to the rest as he immediately raced outside again, “time enough for one round of airball, who’s in?”   
“I wish I had half that amount of energy”, Asami laughed, as Korra, Meelo and Ikki raced over to Tenzin, clearly wanting to convince him to play with them. Tenzin, Asami noted, was standing closely next to Lin. She looked at Pema, who was watching the same scene with a serene smile on her face. “You’re…alright with that?”, Asami asked carefully, gesturing at Tenzin and Lin. Immediately, she started to wonder whether that question had been too personal – Pema made her feel so safe and at home that she hadn’t even thought about that before asking. “Oh yes”, Pema nodded, “I…I left him, not the other way around, so it’s not like any of it is her fault. He would have never cheated on me but…he never stopped loving her, I think. They are meant to be in a way Tenzin and I never were, I realised that eventually.” “That is so wise”, Asami shook her head, “if Korra left me and then looked at someone else the way Tenzin is looking at Lin…” She realised too late what she had said, and her hand flew to her mouth, “I mean…” “It’s okay, Asami”, Pema put a warm little hand on her shoulder, “you two are so cute together, and…so, so obvious.” “Really?”, Asami said, a little embarrassed but mostly happy, “I mean we have tried to hide it a little…” “Never hide anything here in this home”, Pema looked at her with a loving expression, then added with a chuckle, “also because Jinora is becoming creepily intuitive, whatever those spirit powers of hers are, they are definitely becoming stronger.” “Lin and Tenzin think they can get away with hiding whatever they have going on”, Asami grinned, “but let’s all be honest, they really aren’t doing a good job.” “I hope they figure things out”, Pema giggled, the sound reminded Asami of Ikki, “they are both so emotionally incompetent and he is also physically unable to lie.” Asami laughed. It was so easy to laugh in Pema’s presence, despite the grief for her father still being omnipresent. “Thanks so much for letting me help you with lunch”, she said, smiling at Pema, “I…I never had a mum and now my dad is gone and…other than when I am with Korra, this is one of the few places where…things are starting to feel okay again.” “Oh, sweetheart”, Pema hugged her tightly, “you are always welcome here!” Asami felt tears of gratefulness well up in her eyes as she reciprocated the hug


	9. Chapter 9

Tenzin 

His children and Korra continued to play airball, with Lin as their fair, although strict referee – but Tenzin really needed a break, after sparring and moving around all morning. There had also been the brief intermezzo with Lin that kept circling around in his mind…he took a deep breath. He needed to avoid pressuring her: she was here, she seemed happy, that was all that mattered. The memory of the sound of her giggle, familiar, even though it was rarely heard, made something warm expand in his chest. 

“Dad”, Jinora, who had also grown tired of playing, came and sat down in the grass next to him, “you seem…happy.” “I am”, he smiled at his oldest – she was hardly a child anymore, even though it seemed like yesterday that she had used her newfound airbending abilities to move around leaves in the courtyard. “Very good”, Jinora adjusted her lotus seat (she really was an airbending master through and through) and said, “because we need to talk about a few things.” Tenzin looked at her, patiently awaiting whatever she had to say. Jinora had been nothing but accepting and helpful in the past weeks, comforting her siblings in the most attentive of ways – if she needed to finally get something off her chest, it was her good right. “I have developed a new spiritual ability”, Jinora cleared her throat, “at least that is what I believe it to be. I see…the spiritual energy of those around me. I’ve called it an aura, although I’m sure there is a word for it somewhere in an ancient text that’s better.” Tenzin felt himself gape at her. In his mind, he was going through every single airbending script he’d ever read – and there were many. “There are descriptions of such an ability, they called it…soul-reading”, he nodded slowly, as the memory came back to him, “but…even Aang didn’t know anyone powerful enough in the spiritual ways…he said that this was one of the things where the monks weren’t sure whether it was truth or myth. Like flying.” “Right, well, it’s not a myth”, Jinora shrugged, “it just appeared, when mum and you talked to me that day.” Tenzin felt his throat tighten. So, it had affected her in some way – just differently from how he thought. “I was suddenly able to see that it was the right decision. You were both worried for me and the others and you were tense about the situation, but you weren’t unhappy or torn about the thing itself. I realised that, as you were speaking to me. Then I wondered how I had gotten to that realisation and… then auras appeared”, Jinora smiled at him. Tenzin nearly sighed with relief. “Back then I could only sense moods, but now I am seeing the whole ‘soul’, I think. Constant characteristics of people in addition to things they feel right now.” Awe rose up in Tenzin. “You are so talented, and I am so proud of how you are handling that”, he stretched his arms out and Jinora climbed onto his lap, hugging him tightly. “I remember when you were still a tiny baby”, Tenzin felt his nostalgic, remembering the small baby he had once cradled in his arm, shocked by how he could love someone this much without even knowing them, “and here you are, soul-reading…” 

Jinora squeezed him, then carefully let go of him and sat down again, chin high, “yes, so, there’s another thing.” Tenzin involuntarily shook his head a little, smiling. Jinora had always been mature for her age and although she had allowed herself to be a bit more of a teenager, now that the imminent dangers around her were over, she had never been afraid to tell him her opinion. “I can see when two people fit well together”, Jinora let him think about that for a moment. Nervousness rose in Tenzin as he began to understand what she was trying to say. “You have to do something about Lin, Dad”, Jinora grinned, in a mischievous way that somehow made her look an awful lot like mother, “I am not going into the detail of her or your emotions when you are around each other…” Tenzin felt blood shoot into his cheeks and he opened his mouth to protest, but his daughter was already continuing, her smile now warm and genuine as she watched him attentively – as if she was seeing something he couldn’t detect. “Your…soul, I guess I should call it, is not that fluid, for an airbender”, Jinora explained, trying to find the right words. “I guess that is because you like rules a lot. But it’s…how can I explain this, it’s shaped kind of concavely?” Tenzin was trying to grasp what she was saying but couldn’t really wrap his mind around her words. “Lin, of course, has a serious soul, rigid like…stone, in a way, with little soft parts, a bit like moss, that she tries to hide all the time but when she’s happy, they start to show. It’s… it’s shaped in this round way…” Jinora clearly saw the confusion in his face and sighed, sounding a little exasperated, before she added: “your souls are literally made to fit each other. Perfectly. Like a puzzle. I think that comes with age, I mean if you look at Korra and Asami I can’t tell if the match is as good as yours because they are still growing up and stuff but…” “Korra and Asami?”, Tenzin heard himself echo, trying to comprehend the number of revelations that his daughter had just unleashed on him in one single breath. “Damn, I was not supposed to say that”, Jinora mumbled, “yeah, they are dating. It’s not my news to share though. What I want to say is that you need to speak to Lin because…you’re both making this very hard on yourselves when you could just be happy.” “I have spoken to her”, Tenzin said, not quite believing that he was really sharing this aspect of his private life with his kid, “she…needs time to think.” Jinora nodded, slowly, clearly not satisfied with that answer. “It’s her good right to say no, Jinora, no matter what you see”, Tenzin sighed, “we have a history and…I hurt her very badly when we broke up. She might not be able to get past that.” “I don’t think that’s it”, Jinora seemed sure of what she was saying: “you know Lin, she always thinks of everyone else first. I bet she’s worried about what we think, your family, I mean. Or worried about your public appearances or her job. Something stupid like that.” Tenzin wanted to reprimand her – even if she was right, all of those were hardly stupid reasons – but there was something fervent and determined in Jinora’s eyes that made him keep his mouth shut. “Tell her what I just told you. Or at least tell her we won’t be angry”, Jinora took his hand and squeezed it, “Meelo would literally marry her himself if he could and Ikki…Ikki might be a little mad, but she can never withstand a good love story.” “Do you think that is what this is? A good love story?”, Tenzin had said the words before thinking them through – this was probably not the kind of doubt he should be voicing to his teenage daughter. “Yeah”, Jinora got up and looked at Lin, who, after finishing the airball game, was now walking towards them, cheeks reddened from screaming at Meelo to abide by the rules and a slight smile on her face, “Yeah, I’d say so.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter is a slightly longer one! I hope you enjoy it - if you have a moment, please leave some feedback :) Thanks for reading!

Ikki 

Despite things changing in the way they had, her family felt whole and happy as they joked about the sparring session during lunch, praised Pema’s buns and tried not to laugh about Asami’s slightly failed baked goods. Ikki noticed her older sister smiling at her – Jinora had been kind to her, always knowing when she was upset or confused by what was happening and explaining things to the best of her ability. Little Rohan, sitting on Ikki’s lap, reached for her bun, starting to fuss as she wouldn’t give it to him. “Time for a nap, I’d say”, Pema motioned to get up. “I can put him to sleep”, Tenzin smiled at her, picking up his youngest son, “come on, Rohan, it’s sleeping time.” As he walked past Ikki, he paused, seemingly thinking about something, then asked quietly: “Lin, would you like to come with me? Maybe you could watch him for a second to make sure he sleeps, I have a letter for Raiko I should really send off, whilst I am near my office.” Lin froze up visibly, opening her mouth, then closing it again. Ikki giggled when she saw the panic in her face: “don’t worry Lin, Rohan is a very good napper!” “Sure”, Lin was still staring at Tenzin as if he had proposed something completely mental. Now that reaction seemed a little over-the-top, especially for Lin, Ikki thought.   
“Hold him whilst I grab his toy, without it he won’t go to sleep”, Tenzin shoved Rohan in Lin’s arms and went searching for the little plush bison Rohan took with him everywhere he went. Korra suddenly burst out laughing, hardly able to compose herself enough to say: “Lin, how do you look more terrified than you did battling Kuvira?” Lin made a helpless sound, causing everyone else to join in the laughter. “He likes you, though”, Pema got up, stroking the cheek of her youngest, who was now cuddling up against Lin’s metal armour, “or he’s too tired to protest.” “Probably the latter”, Lin looked down at the little boy in her arm, “spirits, he is heavy, how do you carry him around all day?” “He walks most places, or I have a fabric I wrap him in”, Pema looked up at Lin. Something was passing between the two women, deeper than the conversation they were having, Ikki thought. Once again, she felt Jinora’s eyes dart towards her. There was something going on that she didn’t know about. And if there was one thing Ikki hated, it was not knowing things. 

After they had finished clearing the table, Asami and Korra decided to go for a walk and Jinora and her mum wanted to meditate, leaving Ikki and Meelo to find something to do. Or rather, Ikki thought, to find something out. “There is something we need to do”, she instructed her brother, “They aren’t telling us something, probably once again treating us like babies. Lin is involved, I think.” “How do you know? She seemed normal today”, Meelo made a face. He adored Lin and hated the idea of criticising her. “I’m not saying it’s something bad, I am just getting…weird…vibes”, Ikki made a broad gesture, “I suggest a recon mission.” Her little brother could not withstand the idea of adventure, so he nodded eagerly. “You go around the island, see what the acolytes are talking about…and be careful around Jinora and Mum! They are definitely in on whatever is happening. I’ll go follow Lin and dad.” “Okay”, Meelo nodded, “we shall meet at dawn once again, fellow soldier, to share our illuminating findings!” “Yeah, something like that”, Ikki rolled her eyes. Her heart was beating quickly…she was definitely on to something. 

The door to her dad’s study was shut close but unbeknownst to Tenzin, his kids had found a way of spying on him years ago – an air vent. Ikki made sure no one was nearby before she climbed up and into the vent, reaching the grid that enabled her to see what was happening inside the study. Her dad was standing by the window, looking outside. There was a knock and Lin entered. “He’s asleep”, she announced, then added: “I can’t believe you left me alone with a baby, Tenzin, I was terrified!” “You get along with the other kids just fine”, he turned, smiling at her. “Yeah, they aren’t babies though.” “Fair enough”, Tenzin laughed, “thanks for watching him, I managed to send that letter off.” “Good. For a retiree, Raiko has you working pretty hard”, Lin joked as she walked to stand next to him. Her voice sounded nothing like the strict chief of police Ikki thought she knew. Even when off-duty, there usually was an air of authority around Lin that made it hard to get close to her. That air dissipated quickly as Ikki watched Lin put her head on Tenzin’s shoulder. Ikki’s dad froze up visibly, then, confusion lacing his voice, asked: “Lin…I…what are you doing?” “Just be quiet for once, Airhead.” Ikki had never heard anyone call her father that – but then again, it was a pretty good pun, definitely something Lin would make up…if Lin made up puns. Which she didn’t…right? Although, Ikki also hadn’t really thought that Lin Beifong…cuddled? “Sure, no problem”, Tenzin put an arm around Lin’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him. “I can hear your arrogant grin in your voice”, Lin mumbled, “and I do not like it. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” “Of course, you haven’t”, even Ikki could hear the grin in her father’s voice now. She wanted to know what they were talking about – this had to be the reason for everyone behaving weirdly. “Let’s say I hypothetically were to say yes…”, Lin began, turning, so she could see Tenzin’s face. They were standing awfully close together...Slowly, the realisation of what this was all about began to dawn on Ikki. 

“You would need to speak to your children.” “Jinora came up to me earlier”, Tenzin laughed a little, “told me to tell you she wouldn’t be mad.” “How…what?”, Lin’s eyes widened, “there is no way…how would she…” “She’s pretty…let’s say emotionally intelligent”, it kind of sounded as if her father was going to add something to that, but then he didn’t. “Well, she is older than the others”, Lin started pacing the office, “Ikki, she’d…hate me, probably. It’s not been long since-“ “No, she won’t, and neither will the others. They like you, Lin, very much”, Ikki recognised her dad’s voice as the one he employed on phone calls, calming upset officials. She wasn’t so sure about the hating part, though. It had only been a little more than two months since her parents had split…surely her mother would be hurt by him moving on so quickly! It was true, she did like Lin, and she was aware of the things Lin had sacrificed for them…but a mean voice in her head wondered aloud if just maybe, the earthbender’s motives hadn’t been so pure after all. “Jinora guessed that this would be your main worry”, Tenzin stopped Lin’s nervous pacing by putting his hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “That is not what I want you to think about. I want you to think about me, about you and about whether an ‘us’ is something you would like. All the other things…they are mostly mine to worry about and we will deal with them when they come at us.” “See, that is where you are wrong”, Lin’s voice cracked a little, “unless you don’t remember what the outside influences did to us last time? Because – no, let me finish – because that was painful, and I have no intention of going through that again.” Tenzin let his arms drop to his sides. Ikki tried to read the expression on his face. He looked…guilty? Sad? “I didn’t mean to bring it up like that. I have forgiven you; it was an impossible situation. But we cannot change who we are...who our parents are. There will always be…”, Lin gestured, then sighed, “Judgement. Mean articles from the press. People will talk. And this time around they’ll drag your whole family into it. Is that something you really want to put them through?”   
Ikki swallowed hard. Her parents had tried to keep the newspapers away from them, but she wasn’t stupid – she’d seen the things they had written about her parents, her siblings, herself. Life had only just calmed down; they were only just getting used to a new normal…   
“Of course not”, Tenzin sighed heavily, “I feel terrible about having them exposed to these things because of my choices but…” But what! There was no but, that was it, his choices were the reason people pointed at Ikki at the market. She scowled: in her books, he was being egoistical.   
“But these things are temporary. The negative attention is temporary. We can avoid them for a time, anyways, but…If that is the price for having you in my life…and in my children’s life, too…then I don’t mind it half as much”, Tenzin sighed. “I won’t hurry you, Lin, I am not going anywhere. I agree that these things are something we need to discuss, and we can, as extensively as you wish. I…I think it’s obvious what I feel for you, what I have always felt. That’s…that’s all I have to offer, really.” 

Part of Ikki wanted Lin to reject her father here and now. She was tired of change, tired of the stupid newspaper people sneaking onto the island, tired of things being different from how they used to be, before Korra had arrived. On the other hand, she wanted Korra to be around, obviously. And even though things had been tough, they had also had some really cool adventures and they had made great new friends and of course, if things hadn’t changed, there wouldn’t be so many new airbenders…Maybe things had never been completely peaceful in the first place, maybe…maybe she was only realising how complicated everything was because she wasn’t a kid anymore (no matter how Jinora treated her). Ikki struggled to suppress a sigh.  
She saw her dad’s head sink. He seemed…really tired. A lot more tired than Ikki felt.

Suddenly, Lin spoke again, her voice even raspier than usual. “It was always my comfort… the island I mean. When everything at home was chaotic, I would come here, and your mum always had food ready and a bed made for me and your dad would make me laugh so hard I forgot whatever I was angry about and Kya would braid my hair and Bumi would annoy me and…it just…felt so safe.” Tenzin lifted his head and the tenderness of his expression moved something in Ikki. She wanted him to be happy – and even though Lin was grumpy and difficult and very different from most of the women in Ikki’s life, she could recognise that Lin made her father happy and that her father made Lin happy…or at least less testy. “The thing is”, Lin exhaled sharply, “none of them are here now, your father isn’t, your mother isn’t, your siblings aren’t, there have been so many changes on this island, but I still feel the same way because…because you’re still here and…I have my best friend back…” Lin’s voice broke and she swallowed hard, clearly trying not to cry.   
“Lin”, Tenzin got up, sounding as touched as Ikki felt, “Lin, I’ll always be your best friend. I promise. When Korra came and practically forced us to work together…” Lin snorted and Ikki grinned, remembering her dad coming home exasperated, complaining about the Chief of Police – but now, when she thought back to it, he hadn’t seemed that bothered. “I was so happy just to be on speaking terms again”, Tenzin shook his head, “I had missed you so badly…and now look at this, you, back on the island, sparring with my kids in the same spot where we learned how to bend…I could not possibly demand anything else…”   
“No, that’s not what I…”, Lin ran her hand through her hair, and her laugh sounded a little desperate, “spirits, Tenzin, we are such a disaster…” They were indeed, Ikki thought, shaking her head. She was thoroughly confused –she wanted to be angry: at her dad, for moving on so fast; at Lin, for taking up so much of her dad’s thoughts; at herself, for thinking mean thoughts about a woman who had only ever been good to her. On the other hand, she wanted to scream at her dad to just kiss Lin because if her favourite romance novels had taught Ikki anything, it was that love could and should overcome all stupid worldly complications. Mainly, though, Ikki realised that she should probably not have listened to any of this in the first place. She had been glued in her spot, fascinated and shocked by what she heard – but hadn’t she found her answer now? She knew why everyone was behaving weirdly – and now she should be an adult and not get involved in other people’s business. Like her mum always told her: she was too nosy. Feeling more than a little guilty, Ikki crawled out of the vent. In her defence, this was by no means a habit, she had not been in the vent for a good while…and apparently, she had grown more than she thought, because suddenly, her foot banged against the metal grid. Flameo me, Ikki thought, I am so screwed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue coming out tomorrow. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Lin 

“Spirits, Tenzin, we are such a disaster”, Lin felt like both laughing and crying. She didn’t even know what had moved her to initiate this conversation in the first place; he’d just been there, so close, practically screaming for her to lean against him and, for once, just breathe… And now they had gone down the rabbit hole, she had dumped all of her worries and paranoias onto him, to the point where _he_ probably didn’t want this anymore. As always with Tenzin, she had difficulty thinking straight because of how many emotions there were connected to him. She had most certainly not been trying to tell him that she wanted to be just his friend…as he had spoken the words – ‘I could not possibly demand anything else’ – she had nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all because this had always been their problem, that they never managed to remain just friends…  
For someone who had gone through all training courses of hostage-situation de-escalation, she was terrible at emotionally honest conversations. 

_Out with it_ , she suddenly heard her mother’s voice in her head, _are you an earthbender or not? Just face the boulder, head on!_ Lin exhaled and turned to Tenzin who was staring at her, confused, trying to understand what it was she wanted him to do or say.  
Lin had never been indecisive – she merely liked to consider all her options, thoroughly. This was going to be a bumpy ride, there were many issues they had not even addressed yet…but she realised that they all fainted when compared to the possibility of being with him, of spending her Sundays on the island with him and his family, of getting home after a long day and being greeted with takeaway and a smile from her best friend. Suddenly, Su’s words echoed in her mind: _“You’re a really good person, Lin…but you better don’t let that ruin the opportunity that is presenting itself here.”_ Maybe, for once, her little sister had a point. 

Lin felt a smile tugging on her lips as she motioned to grasp his hand. 

Out of nowhere, there was a loud, metallic bang that made them both whirl around. Immediately, Lin’s police officer mode was turned on and she scanned the room until she spotted where the sound had come from. “Vent”, she pointed at it. Without saying anything, Tenzin took his chair, pulled it to the spot below the vent and climbed on it, enabling him to peer into the vent.  
“Hello there, Ikki”, Tenzin sighed, “would you like to come out of the air vent and speak to us?” “Not really”, Ikki’s quiet voice sounded from the vent, “I was just about to leave, actually.” 

Lin sank against Tenzin’s heavy desk. A _really_ inappropriate part of her brain reminded her that he’d had this desk forever, that they had definitely… “Well, I do believe you owe us an explanation”, Tenzin still sounded amazingly patient. There was a metallic scratch as he moved the grid and Ikki crawled out of the vent, into his arms. “I’m sorry”, she jumped, bending the air around her to land softly between Tenzin and Lin, “I didn’t mean to listen. I just had…a feeling there was something going on, so…I wanted to know what was up. I guess…I may have been a bit nosy.” The girl turned bright red and stared at the carpet. “Yeah, a little”, Lin snorted, rubbing her temples. The last thing she had wanted was for that conversation to be heard by anyone but Tenzin and herself…and especially not his kids. 

“I won’t be mad at you Lin!”, Ikki blurted out, “I mean I was, when I realised what was going on…but only for like a minute…It’s not really your fault, I guess; in the novels they always say you can’t control who you love and…yeah, you’re a bit harsh sometimes, and also grumpy, and you really need to change up your outfits from time to time… but we all know you mean well, and you are the best sparring teacher…and I guess you’re practically part of the family anyways so it would be really weird if you just vanished again also Meelo would be so upset and…”, Ikki stopped herself, gasping for air. Lin’s ears were ringing, and she attempted to understand what the girl was trying to tell her. With the kind of speed only airbenders were capable of, Ikki moved towards her and then was suddenly hugging her. She had grown so much since Lin had met her properly for the first time a few years ago and now reached nearly up to Lin’s shoulder. Ikki’s voice was hoarse when she whispered: “I can’t believe you would think we’d hate you, Lin.” 

Lin felt her throat tighten and she closed her eyes, trying to fight back tears of relief. This really had been weighing heavily on her. Ikki let go of her only to take Lin’s hand into her small, soft one and pull her towards the window. “It’s nice, isn’t it”, she said, pointing outside, “the island, I mean. It’s the nicest place I have ever seen, and I have seen a few places. Maybe…maybe if you ever have time, we could compare all the secrets we know. You’ve had more time to discover things, but I am very fast, so I bet I know some corners you don’t.” Lin felt a smile pull on her lips: “I’d like that, Ikki.” Tenzin moved to stand behind them, one hand on each of their shoulders. Lin was pretty sure that she heard him sniffle. 

“Alright”, Ikki cleared her throat, “I bet that is more emotions than Lin has had to endure for like three months, so I should really leave.” “Now that’s a little disrespectful”, Lin murmured, but she wasn’t angry. Ikki was a teenager and she’d had the correct hunch. After all, they hadn’t exactly been entirely relaxed; this situation was hanging over them…and she intended to resolve it. Preferably without one of Tenzin’s children watching.  
Tenzin crouched down a bit so that his face was on the same level with Ikki’s. “All good, sweetheart?” Instead of answering, she hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I should go meditate and leave you people to it”, Ikki grinned when her father turned bright red at that comment. “Have fun!”, she added and raced outside. “Ikki!”, Tenzin shouted, but the door had already banged closed behind the tiny orange-clad figure. 

“Oh spirits, Lin…”, Tenzin sank down the chair behind his desk, hiding his face in his hands, “I swear we did not raise them this way.” “By ‘this way’, you mean kind-hearted and honest?”, Lin smiled and walked until she stood right in front of him.  
“Well, you’ve got your answer from Ikki”, Tenzin looked up to her, hope shining in his eyes, “Meelo is not going to be the problem…he might be jealous of me, at worst. And Pema…I am pretty sure she knew why she invited you for breakfast.” Lin thought back to the younger woman’s kind face and the slightly cheeky sparkle in her eyes. “I believe she may be trying to set us up”, Lin mumbled, “and so is Jinora, apparently.” Tenzin got up. He was standing so close to Lin that she could feel his heartbeat without even employing her seismic sense. “So ehm…”, he said awkwardly, sounding very much like the teenager Lin had first fallen in love with, “do you think the whole ‘setting up’ thing is working, or do you want to…I don’t know, get back to sparring training…”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, airhead”, Lin said, laughing, then craned her neck to kiss him. She had kissed Tenzin thousands of times in her life, so she had thought that she remembered how it felt; that it would be a familiar affair.  
Instead, as he instantly pulled her close, one arm wrapped around her midsection, the other one moving up her back until his hand was running through her hair, Lin lost her ability to form a straight thought. She was completely enthralled by the sensation of him, everywhere. As they halted eventually to catch their breaths, Tenzin pulled her into a tight embrace. Lin didn’t fight it – it felt warm, and safe and like…home. He let go of her the tiniest bit only to carefully reach out to cup her cheek with one of his hands, running his thumb over her skin. “I’ve wanted to do that for years”, he said, his voice sounding a lot breathier than normal, “the amount of time I spent staring at your cheekbones during council meetings…” The look in his eyes made Lin’s knees go weak and his hold around her waist tightened, pulling her flush against him. “Definitely not what you were meant to be thinking about in those meetings”, she felt a grin on her face. Tenzin grinned back and leaned towards her. Lin closed her eyes, opening her mouth slightly, expecting his lips to meet hers again… 

“DAD! LIN!”, Meelo’s voice from the hallway made them jump apart, “MEDITATION IS OVER! SPARRING TIME!” “Flameo me”, Tenzin swore under his breath. Lin cocked an eyebrow at him – he never swore. Meelo opened the door, halting at the entrance of the room to look at them, eyebrows drawn together. “All good here?”, he inquired. “Yes, Meelo, all good”, Tenzin answered, “we will be with you in a moment.” The obvious disappointment radiating from Tenzin made Lin burst out laughing. “I swear, even Lin is being weird today”, Meelo shook his head, disapprovingly, “and here I was, thinking you were the sane one.” “Oh, I most certainly am”, Lin winked at Tenzin as she walked towards the door, which, as expected, made his face turn the colour of a beet, “come on, airhead, I bet that I win the next round of sparring.” “Hah! You just try!”, Tenzin closed the door of his office behind him as they followed Meelo, who was racing towards the training grounds.  
“We could lock ourselves in my office”, Tenzin mumbled, still sounding disgruntled. “Absolutely not. I promised them training and they will get that”, Lin turned her head to flash a smile at him, “there will be time for the rest later.” Tenzin’s hand found its way to the small of her back. “I should hope so”, he said quietly into her ear. Lin’s treacherous heart immediately began beating wildly and as she took another step, extending her seismic sense, she felt that her heartbeat was matched by his. Her equally treacherous brain suddenly reconsidered the option of locking themselves in his office – _there was that desk after all_ – but Meelo’s voice ripped her from her slightly unsuitable thoughts. “HURRY UP, OLD PEOPLE!”  
“I guess you’re a package deal now”, she grimaced at Tenzin, “be glad I like them.” “I am”, Tenzin replied, his voice full of emotion. He reached for her hand and squeezed it briefly. “I’m so grateful to have you back, Lin”, he whispered. Lin, for the second time that day, felt tears well up in her eyes. The afternoon sun was basking the island in a golden glow – autumn was coming to Republic City. “Alright then”, Lin wiped her eyes and nudged Tenzin in the side before he could comment, “let’s spar!”


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is it! I cannot thank you enough for reading, giving kudos and commenting - it's been an amazing motivation!   
> My holidays are coming to an end, so there won't be daily uploads from here on out...but there will be more Linzin writing coming your way! I also write Star Wars and Star Trek stories, so if you are interested in that, check out my profile :)   
> Now, enough with the advertisement and onto the epilogue!

Lin

Lin sat up and stretched, as the sunlight crawled through the windows and warmed her face, slowly waking her up. For years, she had put an alarm every day, even on Sundays…but like so many things, that had also changed throughout the past months. Sundays were her day off, to be spend with Tenzin or on the island – no work on Sundays except for genuine emergencies, that was their deal. “Don’t get up yet”, Tenzin wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down towards him again. “I could do with another ten minutes of sleeping, to be fair”, she said, yawning, as she cuddled back into the warm bed, turning to be closer to him. “Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”, he asked, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.   
She boxed him in response, but not hard enough to wipe the grin of his face. 

“Listen, I was thinking…”, Tenzin opened his eyes completely, looking at her, “we could go brunching.” She looked at him, taking a little time, then she understood. “No, Tenzin, no”, she sat up, untangling herself from his arms, “we are going to be the only thing in the papers. For weeks.” “It has to happen at some point, Lin!”, he sat up too, sounding slightly aggravated. “I know you hate the attention, but we have spoken about this”, he added softly, putting his hand on her knee, “it’s a bit like a band aid. We may as well rip it off and get it over with. Besides”, and he smiled a little there, “I want to be able to kiss you in public if I wish.” She sighed, suddenly feeling tense. “I am just not looking forward to the nasty headlines.” “Neither am I, believe me…but somehow, I got away okay with the divorce, at least according to public opinion pools.” “Because the people love you and your kids. One turn at the fair with Rohan in your arm and you were the perfect divorced dad”, Lin bit her lip, “as you may or may not know, the papers do not love me. At all. In fact, I think they hate me.” “You don’t care about that kind of nonsense, surely!”, Tenzin threw up his hands, “the papers also loved Kuvira and Tarrlok, so if that says anything about me…” “Fine, fine”, Lin said, taking a deep breath. He had a point, they had to get it over with and today was as good a day as any. Also, even though she would never admit that to him, the idea that he could see her off with a brief kiss before she entered the daily disarray of the police headquarters was…tempting. “Fine, let’s go brunching. But call Pema first and give her a heads-up…spirits know, these people have no shame, they will go after her, too.” Tenzin nodded, getting up, then leaning back down to kiss her on the forehead. Despite herself, she smiled.

“You look great”, Tenzin squeezed her hand. Lin herself had opted for casual clothing, a collared coat over a tunic and pants, accessorised only with metal bangles – which could easily be converted into weapons, should need be. “Thanks”, she forced herself to smile but she was more nervous than she had been in a long time. Tenzin opened the door for her and took her coat as they entered the small restaurant. It was by no means Main Street but from a lifetime of reading the local news (and being involuntarily featured in them), Lin knew it would be only minutes until word travelled to the reporters. Already, people were staring, mumbling and looking away quickly when she met their glance with a frown. She felt Tenzin’s hand on her back, reassuringly guiding her towards a table. “It’ll be nice”, he squeezed her hand for a moment, then waved to the waitress who had been gawking at them for a good minute. “I’ll get something expensive…and you are paying!”, Lin said through gritted teeth. He laughed at that, that kind and deep laugh, that seemed to fill the room with happiness. Again, people turned to stare at them but suddenly, Lin couldn’t find it in herself to care anymore. 

“Is your relationship with her the reason you divorced your wife?”, was the first question, screamed at them from somewhere inside the mob of reporters that awaited them outside the restaurant. “Good morning to you, too”, Tenzin smiled, pulling Lin closer towards him by her arm, “and no, of course not. We’d like to go about our day now, if you please.” He managed to emanate authority whilst remaining perfectly cordial.   
“Have you been waiting for him all your life?”, another voice asked. That question had obviously been directed at her. She felt anger rise up inside herself. “Don’t-“, Tenzin began but she was already answering. “I have never waited for any man, and I suggest you do the same”, was her thin-lipped response. To her surprise, the reporter – a young woman – actually smiled at that answer. Back in the day, when they had been young and confronted with a similar kind of unwanted attention, there had been few female reporters. Maybe things were getting better, even if only marginally. Tenzin waved a taxi to where they were standing, surrounded by a cloud of reporters shouting questions. Lin was climbing into the satomobile, giving the driver her address, when she heard Tenzin reply to someone: “Yes, very much so. Good day.” He shut the door and she sank deeper into the seat, relieved, as they began driving. “What did that last one you answered ask?”, she inquired. “Whether we’re in love”, Tenzin smiled at her and to Lin’s slight annoyance, she felt herself blush. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”, he said, reaching out to squeeze her knee, “a few more of these and then we might actually be able to go out for dinner.” “That would be nice”, she admitted. “No rush”, he added, “we have all the time in the world.” Lin nodded. It was true, she realised, they did have time. 

She closed her eyes as happiness nearly overwhelmed her. The last few years, ever since Avatar Korra’s arrival in Republic City, had felt like a series of storms, each one threatening to tear their world apart. They had weathered them all, somehow…and, without Lin being able to pinpoint when it had happened, the tide had turned.


End file.
